


The Promise

by Jukebox



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: AU, Ghost Sex, M/M, OOCness, Possession, bad language, minor original character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-03
Updated: 2016-11-03
Packaged: 2018-08-28 19:17:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8459860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jukebox/pseuds/Jukebox
Summary: Can two Gundam pilots come together to help fulfill a promise?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimers: Doing this only for therapeutic value. Not making any money off it. All the familiar characters in this fic belong to their rightful owners/corporations. I'm broke, so sueing me would be like trying to squeeze blood from a turnip.
> 
> Notes: Unbeta’d. Originally written in response to the House of Moans challenge in the 1x2ml yahoo group. Inspired by every ghost/possession show I ever saw.
> 
> Two versions of this fic exists (each with some variation) - one in GW and one in X-men. I meant to post this on Halloween. 
> 
> Words between ~ ~ are thoughts or mental speak

THE PROMISE

 

250 years ago...

 

Two young men pushed through the front door of the house, clutching at each other as hands and lips enjoyed the flesh beneath.  Entwined bodies fell in front of a massive stone fireplace, as frantic kisses slowed to languid explorations of tongues along smooth skin.  “I can’t believe it.”  The older youth breathed.  “After all this time, after everything we’ve had to endure, I’m finally going to be with you.”

 

“Charlie” the smaller boy gasped as one pink nipple was grazed.  “I’m so happy.  This place is perfect and it’s all ours.  I love you so much.”

 

Slowly, the taller male peeled off the shirt of his lover, worshipping the creamy skin underneath as he went.  His own shirt had been discarded as soon as they entered their new home.  And Charlie had decided they would make it the home and be the family that neither of them truly ever had, no matter what the town folk thought.   He had loved Ben from the moment they accidentally bumped into each other at the town’s only store.  Each were outcasts, living hand to mouth and doing their best to eek out a living amidst the scorn of those around them.  And now, they would be together, the way Charlie had always hoped and dreamed, the rest of the world be damned.  “I love you too, baby.  And I want to show you how much.  Please let me make love to you and finally claim you as my own.”

 

“Yes” Ben whispered, his head flung back in bliss, as his lover’s talented tongue dipped inside his navel.  “Make me yours.”

 

Charlie moved lower, sliding the smaller boy’s pants down as he went, trailing kisses in its wake and ignoring the straining flesh of his lover’s erection.  Ben whimpered, hips moving slightly to make some sort of contact, some form of friction to ease the pleasant ache.  With a smirk, Charlie crawled back up his lover and hovered directly above for a moment, listening to the pleading sounds coming from Ben.  Taking pity on the younger boy, Charlie engulfed his partner’s shaft to the root, eliciting a cry of ecstasy from the beautiful male below him.  Moans filled the room as Charlie prepared his lover.  It was important to him that Ben felt nothing but pleasure from their first time coupling.  When he deemed the youth ready, he positioned himself between the welcoming thighs and captured Ben’s eyes with his own.  “Ready, love?”

 

With a smile to melt Charlie’s heart, Ben reached up and threaded his fingers through his lover’s hair.  “I’ve never been more ready in all my life.  Please...”

 

It was all Charlie ever wanted to hear and he placed the tip of his member at his lover’s entrance, ready to join with the boy he loved with all his soul.  Just as he started to move, however, the door to their home flew open and slammed against the wall, startling both young men as they stared in shock at the five men standing in the doorway.  “Well, isn’t this sweet?”  One of them sneered in disgust as they took in the scene of two naked males embracing one another.

 

For a moment, neither boy moved.  But, Charlie registered the bats in the hands of their intruders and scrambled to his feet, pulling Ben behind him.  Eyes darted everywhere, searching for some kind of weapon for defense.  “What the hell?” Charlie hissed.  “Get OUT!!  This is OUR home!!” 

 

The men started forward, swinging their bats back and forth with foreboding intent.  “Your kind is an abomination and must be destroyed.”  The leader preached, just before all five men charged the youths.  Wooden clubs swung violently; the dull thump of flesh and crunch of bone smacked repeatedly overrode the previous sounds of love.  Blood splattered everywhere as the boys fought back; scratching and biting, cursing and screaming until finally no sound came at all.  The men were breathing heavy, as they took in the scene around them.  The adrenalin was wearing off and, whether feeling justified in their actions or not, the men staggered backwards, turning to flee the scene of their crime and leaving the bloodied bodies where they fell. 

 

It was hard to recognize the lump of flesh a few feet away as his love, but Charlie summoned strength he no longer had to slowly crawl towards the body.  Precious life fluid flowed from them both, staining the wood floor below them.  He could barely see out of one eye, the other completely gone.  His head had been partially caved in with one lucky strike of a bat and his mind was acting on instinct alone, barely capable of rational thought.  He reached the boy and managed to move his lips to within a hairsbreadth of the other.  Ben’s eyes were wide open, tears slowly flowing from the corners.  Charlie knew they were both fading fast.  “H...hang on baby, p-please!!” 

 

“Charlie” the other whispered, unable to see his love as the light of life faded from him.  “I.........lov...”  One last exhalation of breath and the light was gone.

 

“Ben.  PLEASE.” He sobbed, the last of his strength leaving him.  “I won’t let you g-go.  I won’t...I...”

 

~ _I’ll find a way to be with you~_

 

*************

 

Present day......

 

“Of all the fucking luck, why the hell did I have to get stuck with him” Duo muttered under his breath, before plastering a fake smile on his face and addressing the stoic boy across the room.  “Hey, Heero!  How’s it hanging?”

 

Fingers that had been flying over the keys of his laptop paused.  Heero glanced up at the braided fool and stared blankly at him for a moment, before returning his attention to the screen.

 

Duo shrugged.  “Yeh, that’s what I thought.”  He shouldered his pack and moved further into the room.  “Me?  Oh I’m five by five.  Can’t complain.  Well, I can, but you aren’t listening anyway, so to hell with it.”  Throwing the pack to one side, he shucked his jacket and glared balefully at the interior of the safe house, frowning at the dilapidation and general disrepair.  “Man, this place sucks.  Who picked this place as a safe house?  Oh right, Quatre did.”  As Duo plopped down on the couch, dust sprang forth and floated all around, making the Deathscythe pilot cough.  “Tell me there’s water in this dump.”

 

Heero sighed.  “Yes, there’s water.  There’s even a working hot water tank, so you can enjoy one of those overindulgent showers you tend to take.” 

 

Duo grimaced, feeling a little guilty over his initial reaction to the house.  It appeared that he had become spoiled during the war, learning to enjoy things he never had growing up on the streets of L2.  As a result, he now took some luxuries for granted – like the type of roof over his head.  He glanced around the room again before answering.  “Well, I guess it ain’t too bad.  I’ve stayed in worse.”  Then he snorted at the thought.  “Hell, this is a friggin palace compared to some of the dives on L2.” 

 

“Hn”

 

Slanting his gaze at the other youth, Duo continued.  “Bet this place has some history, eh?”  Heero grunted, not acknowledging the braided man at all.  Duo frowned.  “I mean, it’s a fixer upper for sure, but still it has some character, don’t ya think?”  The Wing pilot continued to type something on the computer, completely ignoring the other.  Brows lowered as anger began to rise up in the American.  The Japanese boy could be so infuriating some times.  “How long you suppose this has been in Winner’s family, eh?  Place looks like it might be 100 years old or something.”  Another grunt greeted him as Heero continued to focus on the machine in his lap.  Finally, Duo placed both hands on his hips in exasperation, sarcasm dripping from his words as he spat.  “So tell me, Yuy.  Is that your ‘I don’t give a shit’ grunt or the ‘Shut the fuck up’ grunt?  Because, you know, I get those two confused all the time.”

 

Heero stopped typing, moving two fingers to pinch the bridge of his nose, as if to ease the beginnings of a headache.  “Maxwell, I need to finish this report to send off to J.  Go fix us something to eat.  There’s some reconstituted meat flavored packs in the cooling unit in the kitchen.”

 

“Ah, it speaks.”  At the incredulous look from the Japanese boy, Duo grinned and shrugged.  “Alright, fine.  Substitute cow it is.”  At least he had finally gotten a reaction out of the stoic pilot.   

 

Duo wandered towards the back of the house, in the direction he assumed was the kitchen.  The walls had layers upon layers of musty wallpaper, most peeling in places, but each layer revealing a different personality of a previous owner.  The rat gnawed holes along the baseboards, and algae green stains where water had leaked through the roof could not hide the intricate carved woodwork trim along the upper edges of the walls, or the way the aged yet well placed floor boards remained sturdy under his weight.  At one time, this place was someone’s pride and joy.  In his mind’s eye, Duo could tell that the structure had actually been well loved in the past, cared for and treasured as a precious thing, though the ravages of time and neglect had taken a toll.  He paused as a sudden blast of cold air flowed through him, causing him to wrap his arms around himself and shiver.  Just as quickly, the cold was gone.  A quick perusal of the hallway revealed no openings through which the outside wind may have filtered, yet the cold had seeped in from somewhere, chilling him to the bone in a fraction of a second.  It was probably a figment of the imagination, Duo mused as he shook it off and continued to the kitchen to forage for food.

 

Scowling at the lack of functioning appliances in the kitchen, Duo started sifting through drawers and cabinets, wary of any surprises that might jump out at him.  He understood the need to keep the place as uninviting as possible.  What made a safe house a haven was its ability to not draw attention to itself, and there was nothing like an abandoned, broken down shell of a place to accomplish this goal.  It didn’t mean he had to like it, though.  Half-way through his search, he was about to close the door of one of the lower cabinets when a glint of light reflected off of something towards the back.  He crouched lower and reached all the way back, the tips of his fingers scratching over the glass surface of a bottle.  He managed to roll the bottle towards the front and grabbed it by the neck when it came into reach.  Pulling it out, he cocked his head to read the worn label. 

“Bo...urb...on”  Brows furrowed in concentration as he tried again.  “B...our...bon, hmm.”  The colored liquid inside looked interesting.  The cap took some effort to get off, but once the bottle was opened, the odor of the contents nearly knocked Duo out.  “Whoa...this...” he took another whiff and smiled knowingly.  “This is alcohol!”

 

“HEERO!”

 

The oriental man sighed, his fists clenching on either side of his machine as he worked to control his irritation.  The Deathscythe pilot could take him there faster than anyone else he had ever met in his short life.  Even Relena didn’t test his last nerve the way Duo did.  Heero wasn’t sure exactly what about the boy got under his skin so much, but it was like an itch he could never scratch.  For a moment, a cold feeling came over him, making him gasp at the intensity and clutch at his chest.  ~ _What the hell?_ ~  Then the feeling was gone.  He looked up just in time to see the braided boy skidding to a stop in the doorway leading from the kitchen. 

 

“Heero!!  Guess what!  Alcohol.  Real, honest to god alcohol from the past!”  Duo was grinning like a loon as he proudly displayed the bottle in front of him.  “I’ve only ever heard about this stuff in stories.  It’s not the filtered, non-toxic, stimulant free crap they serve nowadays.  It’s the genuine article.  From like...” he glanced at the bottle, searching for a date, but couldn’t find anything readable on the faded label “...like a long time ago.  Try it with me!”

 

Heero shook he head.  “We aren’t allowed.  The doc...”

“Doesn’t have to know a thing about it.” Duo interrupted, wicked amusement dancing in his eyes.  “C’mon, soldier boy.  Try it with me.  What do ya have to lose?”

 

“My health.  We aren’t drinking it.  You know the rules.  Don’t make me report you, Maxwell.”

 

Duo simply stared at him.  “You can’t be serious?”  At the look the other boy was giving him, the braided pilot knew beyond a doubt that the threat was real.  Sighing, he decided to appeal to the other boy.  “Look man, I know you got a hard on for me.”  The heated glare he received was potent enough to melt ice, causing Duo to hold up his hands in surrender.  “Not a hard on hard on.  A Hard. On. hard on.  You know, a hard...look, never mind.  Just...c’mon, man.  Try it with me.  If you don’t like it, we’ll pour it down the drain.  Pleeeeeease.   I’m begging you.”  Seeing that he wasn’t swaying the other boy, Duo changed tactics.  “Unless you’re too scared?”  Something flashed in Heero’s eyes and Duo struggled not to smirk.  “Yeh, that must be it.  Too chicken-shit.  You’re all talk, I guess, with that 'die for the mission' crap.  Guess I”ll go throw this out then.”  He turned slowly, as if to make his way back to the kitchen, counting down in his head.  ~ _5...4...3...2..._ ~

 

“Wait!”  Heero called after him.  “I’m not afraid.  Bring it back.”  There was no stopping the grin that split Duo’s face at those words. 

 

Heero shut down his laptop and moved to the fireplace to sit on the blanket that Duo laid out.  He had brought some wood in when he first arrived, the chill in the air, both inside and out, warranting the need to light a fire.  Stoking the flames, he sat beside Duo in front of the hearth as they both stared at the bottle placed between them.  “Well?  Who’s first?” The brow Duo lifted was either a question or challenge, though Heero wasn’t sure which.

 

“You found it.  You go first.”

 

Duo wasted no time in lifting the bottle to his lips and taking a large swallow of the amber colored liquid.  The burn was immediate as it slid down his throat, and he couldn’t help the gasp or the coughing fit that took him as he tried to catch his breath.  “Man...” he wheezed, “...that’s some strong shit!” 

 

Heero grabbed the bottle and tossed back his own swallow, struggling not to cough as well.  With a wrinkle of his nose, he handed the bottle back to Maxwell.  “That’s rank!  Are you sure it’s not some sort of chemical solvent?”

 

A snort of laughter greeted that question as Duo took another swig, making a face of disgust at the foul taste.  “Just keep drinking.  I bet it gets better.  It has to, right?” 

 

They passed the bottle back and forth between them, each taking a turn to swallow a mouthful of drink.  It didn’t take long until they were no longer complaining of the taste or making faces.  Duo giggled a little as he felt the effects take hold.  “Sis...I mean, this ain’t sooo bad.” 

 

Heero watched, mesmerized, as a pink tongue darted out to gather a drop that had spilled onto Duo’s lips.  Feeling pretty warm and pleasant, he was relaxed for the first time in a long while, and laid back on his elbows to stare into the fire.  After a few minutes of companionable silence, broken only by the periodic giggling of his less than controlled team mate, Heero glanced around at the room they were in.  “254 years old.”

 

Duo put down the empty bottle and blinked at pilot 01, his sodden brain not quite following the conversation.  “Huh?”

 

“This house, it’s 254 years old to be exact.”  The corners of Heero’s mouth turned slightly upwards in what could be considered a smile, amused at Duo’s confusion.  “It’s been in Quatre’s family for over a century.  Some great relative or another lived here like a hermit or something.”  A haze began to form in his mind and the chill from before slowly permeated his body.  Heero shivered and frowned at the sudden change in temperature despite the blazing fire before them.

 

“Ah.  Well, ya could’ve just said that before.”  Duo grumbled, the flames dancing in his eyes as he watched the fire crackle.  He was quiet for a moment, almost hypnotized by the golden light that swayed to an unheard song as it fed on the wood.  “Why do you hate me so much?” he whispered, not expecting the other to hear him.

 

But Heero did hear and he furrowed his brow.  “I don’t hate you.  I...”  It was getting harder to think as he rubbed his temple with one hand, eyes blurring over as his vision wavered.  “Why would you think that?”  It felt like he was standing outside a glass wall, looking in as someone else spoke.  “I built this place for you, after all.”

 

Eyes widening, Duo turned to face the other boy.  Had he heard that right?  Maybe drinking the bottle of alcohol hadn’t been such a good idea.  “You what?”

 

Heero closed his eyes for a moment, his thoughts jumbled.  That didn’t make sense.  Why would he tell Duo something so ridiculous?  But, he had built this place, hadn’t he?  Something snapped in his brain and suddenly it was all clear.  He pinned those violet orbs with his own intense blue.  “Remember?  We wanted a place of our own, to be together.” 

 

Duo looked at him as if a horn had sprouted in the middle of his forehead.  “The hell?  What’re ya talking ‘bout, Yuy.  You’re not making sense.” 

 

He surged up then, grasping Duo by the arms and shaking him.  “Remember, love.  You and I wanted to be together forever.  We built this place and planned to make it a home.”

 

A touched frightened at the sudden assault on his person, Duo pushed against Heero’s chest, trying to put some space between them.  “You’re talking crazy, Heero.  Maybe the alcohol was a bad idea.”  His own brain was fuzzy from the after effects of imbibing and he felt his own control slipping further away.  Duo shuddered violently as a wave of cold invaded his body, making him squeeze his eyes tight with a gasp and grab the arms holding him.  Violet eyes snapped open and searched the face of the boy sitting so close.  “Ch-Charlie?”

 

Heero smiled.  “Yes love, it’s me.”  He moved forward and captured those plump lips with his own, savoring the taste and texture as he slid his tongue over, asking for entrance.      

 

In the span of a heartbeat, Duo’s lips parted, granting entrance as both tongues tangled in a chaotic dance.  The kiss was frantic, passionate; the kiss of two lovers finding each other after centuries apart.  Frenzied hands grappled at shirt buttons, ripping them asunder to expose creamy flesh below.  Duo’s shirt slid over his shoulders to pool at the crook of his elbows.  Heero latched onto one dusky nipple, suckling like a newborn babe until it pebbled in interest, then blew a warm breath of air across the moisture slick skin.  Duo moaned at the sensation, hands buried in unruly chocolate brown hair.  A whispered ancient lover’s name fell from his lips as Duo threw his head back in bliss.  Heero ran his tongue up the other boy’s neck to the underside of his jaw, nipping at the tip, before claiming Duo’s lips again, only this time the kiss was tender.  He pulled back to take a breath, waiting until those beautiful violet eyes opened to meet his.  “I told you I wouldn’t let you go, Ben.  Not until we’ve had our chance to be together.”   Eyes softened as he cupped the other boy’s face.  “And now we have that chance.”

 

Duo sighed.  “I love you, Charlie.”    

 

Running the tips of his fingers slowly down the smooth expanse of exposed throat, the taller boy savored the feel of flesh for the first time in centuries, remembering the feel of another from a long past encounter.  He worshipped every inch of the quivering body below him, raining kisses and licks over every erotic spot.  When he reached the other boy’s pants, he unbuttoned them and eased the zipper down ever so slowly, driving himself wild with anticipation.  With shaking hands, he slipped the cloth over slim hips to expose the prize beneath.  The thickening shaft bobbed in front of him and he inhaled deeply to take in the rich scent of his lover. 

 

“Beautiful” he murmured, bending down to swipe his tongue lovingly over the leaking tip, lapping at the drops of liquid beading there as if it were the sweetest nectar of the gods.  Enjoying the wanton sounds of the writhing body beneath, he engulfed the shaft to the root, hollowing his cheeks to suction the straining flesh and causing the smaller boy to arch his back.  Duo’s hands flew to Heero's hair to grip as a moan tore from his throat.  This was what he had wanted to do with his love all those years ago and he smiled around the cock in his mouth. 

 

Releasing his lover, the entity in Heero moved his host’s tongue lower and fondled the twin balls of the other boy, drawing one into his mouth to suckle it gingerly as his hands worked to remove his own breeches.  The rumbling sound of pleasure deep in his partner’s chest was music to his ears.  Knowledge from the host body had him slanting his gaze towards the pack the braided boy dropped earlier.  The need to retrieve the lotion he knew Duo kept there had him breaking off the caress of his lover’s balls, ignoring the whimper of protest it brought from the other.  It was mere moments later that he returned, silencing any complaints with another tender kiss as he spread the lotion and prepared his lover with a gentleness that belied his underlying strength.  When he deemed them both as ready as they would ever be, he captured those violet eyes that were nearly black with desire.  “Ready, love?”

 

The braided boy was beyond speech, merely nodding his head.  That was all the encouragement Heero needed as he slowly pushed into his lover, pausing only long enough for the other to adjust.  Duo gasped at the fullness, the stretch slightly uncomfortable but slowly fading to pleasure as Heero’s body began to move.  A few small thrusts and he was completely sheathed in his lover.  A rhythm built as Heero’s body pumped languidly into his lover’s, swallowing the groans of passion from his chosen mate.  Never in his previous life had he imagined it would be this good.  Heero’s tongue swiped along Duo’s jaw line, down his neck to the curve where neck meets shoulder.  As Duo tipped his head further back, panting with need, Heero took advantage by licking his way to the center of the base of the throat, at the dip between collar bones.  Sweat soaked skin glistened in the flames of the fireplace as the two moved in harmony together, making love in the middle of the home they had built together, that they had hoped to grow old in together.  Their bodies molded perfectly to each other. 

 

The pressure began to build and Heero’s body was losing the battle to stave off the inevitable.  He grabbed hold of Duo’s hips and shifted to his knees, rocking back on his heels and pulling Duo’s body into his lap.  Only shoulders and head touched the floor as Duo arched violently; crying out in ecstasy as the change in position impaled him impossibly deeper, striking his special place unerringly with each thrust.  Heero watched in rapture as Duo’s hands rose to play with his own nipples.  A strand of hair escaped the long braid to fall sensuously across Duo’s face as he thrashed his head to one side.  It glided like silk up and down that flushed cheek with each driving push, the touch an erotic torment to over sensitive skin.  It proved to be too much for the stoic pilot.  He brought his hand up to Duo’s neglected shaft and pumped it fervently in time with his own thrusts.  Faster and faster they moved in synch until, at last Duo tensed and came with a keening wail, spurting over them both.  The sight of pained pleasure, pure and beautiful on his lover’s face, along with the tightening of that lithe body around him, was enough to send Heero’s body over the edge.  Head flung back and eyes tightly shut, Heero groaned as he filled his lover completely with his seed, collapsing forward to lean his forehead against Duo’s breastbone right above his heart. 

 

For some minutes they lay there, spent, as breathing returned to normal and scattered thoughts slowly fell back into place.  To the side, a ball of light began to form and they both turned their heads to look at it.  It grew in size; the outer edges a luminous white that was blinding in intensity.  The inner area of the ball, the light was softer, warm.  Their eyes widened at the forming shape within.  In the blink of an eye, two bodies appeared, limbs entwined in a lover’s embrace.  They were breathtaking, the ethereal forms of two young men.  As they held onto each other, a feeling of love so pure and innocent radiated from the pair.  Both pilots watched in awe as the pair turned in unison towards them, smiling brilliantly.  And though they could hear no sound from the apparitions before them, it was easy to read the words that formed on the ghostly lips. 

 

~ _Thank you_ ~

      

And with that, the entities blurred into oblivion, the light fading away to nothing.  Both pilots blinked to adjust their eyes to the sudden reduction in light.  Then they turned back to look at each other, frozen for a moment in shock.  It didn’t take long for Duo’s street instincts to kick in, though, and he shoved Heero off of him, hissing at the sudden decoupling.  He crawled backwards in a panic on his hands and feet until his back hit the wall, instantly grabbing at the remains of his shirt to pull it closed in some attempt to hide his body.  Unfazed by his own nudity, Heero watched him go as he rested his clenched fists on his thighs and struggled to retain control of his fragmented emotions.  There was safety in the emotionless mask he always wore, and he needed that now more than ever, lest he fall to pieces in front of the other pilot. 

 

The room was absolutely quiet, an unnerving stillness in the air as both pilots tried to wrap their minds around what had just happened to them, what they had just done with each other.  Neither could look each other in the eye for very long, averting their gazes as soon as they met.  Finally, Heero found his voice and broke the silence, his tone strained.  “Did I...are you hurt?”

 

Duo pursed his lips.  Was he hurt?  He thought about that for a moment.  There was soreness, but nothing unbearable in the midst of pleasantly sated feelings.  “No” came the shaky reply.

 

Running a hand through his mop of hair, Heero sighed.  “Duo, I’m so...”

 

“Don’t” the braided boy interrupted, unwilling to hear an apology.  “Not our fault.  It was what it was.”

 

But he couldn’t just let something like this go.  “What was it then?”

 

Duo turned and pinned cobalt eyes with his own steady gaze.  “Something we need to sleep on to figure out.  I’m gonna take a shower.”  He stood up to leave the room, clutching his shirt around him like a blanket, not sparing a glance in the Wing pilot’s direction.  Heero frowned, unable to process and efficiently file the guilty feelings away as he had always been trained to do.  Lost in his thoughts, he was startled when Duo called out to him from the threshold of the hallway.  The American still wouldn’t look at him, but called back over his shoulder.  “It...wasn’t unpleasant.”  There was something more he wanted to say, Heero could tell, but he clenched his jaw and left the room.

 

Rubbing at the sudden tension in his neck, Heero decided to dress and get ready for bed.  It was going to be a long night.

 

********

 

The tension was still between them the next morning.  Neither spoke much, but somewhere in the lack of conversation, they both decided to find out more about the two spirits that had dominated their bodies.  It didn’t take long to hack into various government records and determine who had originally built the house.  From there, the two pilots found where they had been buried. 

 

Heero stared down at the gravestone, reading what was etched on it. There wasn’t much engraved there, only the name and date of death.  Using his limited repertoire of descriptive terms, he tried to label what he saw – efficient, frugal, simple, plain...sad.  Sighing, he turned around to locate his team mate on the far side of the cemetery and started to make his way there.  The cemetery wasn’t all that large, given how many years the town had been in existence, but it still took several minutes to stroll to the opposite corner to stand side-by-side with Duo.  He, too, was looking down at a sad grave, another name and date of death etched on the stone.  “Look, Heero” Duo pointed down at the unremarkable marker.  “Even in death, the town kept those two apart.”  

 

They stood a while longer in companionable silence, until the chill in the air caused Duo to shiver.  “We should be heading back” Heero noted at his team mate’s discomfort. 

 

When the braided pilot didn’t make a move, Heero started to turn and leave.  He was halted in his step when Duo grabbed his arm.  “Heero.”  The taller boy turned and looked expectantly at the American.  “About last night, I’ve been thinking.”

 

Heero tensed, his lips pressed tightly together in a thin little grimace.  He had been thinking too, running multiple simulations and scenarios in his head, and had decided that he wanted what those two ghostly spirits had.  He wanted it with Duo.  But, as usual, what he wanted didn’t matter.  The ball was in the braided fool’s court.  “And what did you decide?”

 

Hands as calloused as his own reached out and grasped Heero’s, a perfect fit and comfortable weight.  Duo looked up at Heero, something suspicious shimmering in his eyes.  “Life is too short and precious not to take a chance.  Don’t ya think?”

 

It was the first time Heero could ever recall being in perfect agreement with the boy.

 

The End.

 

******

 

 


End file.
